Tag: Stablecoin infrastructure

  • Velocity Raises $48M Series A from Visa, Circle, and Ripple

    Velocity Raises $48M Series A from Visa, Circle, and Ripple

    Velocity Raises $10M Series A Extension, Valuation Reaches $200M

    London-based stablecoin infrastructure provider Velocity has secured an additional $10 million in Series A funding, bringing the total round to $48 million and valuing the company at $200 million post-money. The extension, announced on September 15, includes participation from Visa Ventures, Circle Ventures, Ripple, Haun Ventures, Translink Capital, and Mirana Ventures.

    Series A Growth From $38M to $48M

    The original $38 million Series A, disclosed on July 14, was led by Dragonfly and FirstMark with participation from Activant Capital, Capital One Ventures, QED Investors, Coinbase Ventures, Wintermute Ventures, and Ripple. At that stage, Velocity reported total capital raised since May 2025 of nearly $50 million.

    CEO Eric Queathem confirmed the additional financing values the company at $200 million after the investment. He noted the original Series A had been oversubscribed, according to comments accompanying the funding disclosure.

    Ripple participated in both financing announcements, while Visa Ventures, Circle Ventures, Haun Ventures, Translink Capital, and Mirana Ventures joined the extension disclosed this week.

    Capital Deployment: Stablecoin Infrastructure for Existing Financial Systems

    Velocity plans to use the capital to develop infrastructure for issuers, acquirers, payment companies, banks, and merchants. Its system connects stablecoins with banking rails, custody, liquidity, compliance, and settlement tools while allowing customers to continue using their existing finance operations.

    Queathem said the company has focused on how money moves behind consumer payments. Velocity’s stated strategy is to place stablecoin settlement underneath existing payment and treasury systems instead of requiring companies to operate a separate crypto stack.

    Visa Investment Follows Operational Stablecoin Settlement Work

    Visa’s investment comes as the card network builds more stablecoin capabilities into its payment infrastructure. In Velocity’s funding announcement, Rubail Birwadker, Visa’s global head of growth products and strategic partnerships, said stablecoins were playing an increasingly important role in the Visa ecosystem and described Velocity as infrastructure for “stablecoin-powered money movement to every business.”

    The investment follows operational work between the two companies. On September 9, MVB Financial and Velocity announced participation in a Visa Direct pilot that lets eligible participants use stablecoins for certain push-to-card funding and settlement obligations. Digital-asset conversion, wallet connectivity, and on-chain controls are handled through licensed partners.

    Velocity said the MVB arrangement uses a single API and regulated wallet infrastructure. Stablecoins can be brought into payment flows without customers maintaining separate blockchain systems, while availability depends on eligibility and geography.

    Visa itself reported this month that more than 160 stablecoin-linked card programs were live globally during its fiscal second quarter. Payment volume across those programs had risen nearly 200% year over year, while stablecoin settlement volume had passed a $20 billion annualized rate.

    Velocity Targets Settlement, Liquidity, and Treasury Operations

    Founded in 2025, Velocity works with merchants, payment providers, fintech companies, and financial institutions that want to use stablecoins for money movement without rebuilding their existing treasury systems. Its platform combines stablecoin rails with local banks, custody providers, liquidity management, and compliance services.

    The company says the infrastructure can reduce reliance on prefunded accounts and extend settlement beyond standard banking hours. Its website lists payments, settlement, treasury automation, regulated wallets, FX connectivity, and liquidity services among its current products.

    Queathem previously worked at Worldpay, where his experience centered on large payment networks and settlement systems. His thesis for Velocity is that stablecoins will increasingly operate behind existing payment products instead of requiring businesses or consumers to change the interface they use.

    His forecast remains a company view rather than a confirmed market outcome. Queathem said he believes “in five years every global business is going to hold value onchain,” with treasury reconciliation and liquidity infrastructure becoming more important as corporate use develops.

    Competitive Landscape: Stablecoin Infrastructure Funding Surge

    Stablecoin payment infrastructure has drawn several large financings during 2026. In March, Tazapay took its Series B funding to $36 million with backing from Circle Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, and Ripple.

    A separate Checker funding round brought $8 million to an infrastructure provider building a single API for banks and fintech firms. Checker said it had processed more than $3 billion in transactions during the previous 12 months.

    Visa had invested in another stablecoin infrastructure provider before joining Velocity. Visa Ventures took a strategic stake in BVNK in 2025 after the company’s $50 million Series B. Mastercard later completed its acquisition of BVNK in August 2026 in a deal worth up to $1.8 billion. BVNK provides fiat-to-blockchain infrastructure for payments, payouts, settlement, and treasury activity.

    UK Regulatory Environment: Developing Stablecoin Regime

    Velocity is headquartered in London, where regulators finalized new rules for qualifying stablecoins and crypto custody on June 30. The framework will apply to firms authorized under the new regime from October 25, 2027, while the application gateway opens September 30, 2026.

    Velocity says its platform connects customers with licensed banks, FX providers, and digital-asset partners. Its public materials do not claim that every regulated function is carried out directly by Velocity itself, and its MVB announcement states that digital-asset conversion and related controls are performed by licensed partners.

    Circle Ventures’ participation comes as Circle expands payment infrastructure tied to $USDC. Circle reported $74.1 billion of $USDC in circulation as of September 10, while the company said the asset was available through more than 1,000 banks, blockchains, distributors, and other partners.

    Velocity said the $48 million Series A will support continued platform expansion and work with issuers, acquirers, merchants, payment providers, and financial institutions. No separate timetable for deploying the new $10 million extension was disclosed in the September 15 announcement.

  • Aptos Integrates Circle’s CCTP V2 for Seamless USDC Transfers

    Aptos Integrates Circle’s CCTP V2 for Seamless USDC Transfers

    Aptos Adds Support for Circle’s CCTP V2 to Enable Faster Cross-Chain USDC Transfers

    Aptos has announced support for Circle’s Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol (CCTP) V2, enabling more efficient $USDC transfers between Aptos and other supported blockchain networks. The integration strengthens Aptos’s interoperability strategy while giving users and developers a faster way to move liquidity across chains.

    What Circle’s CCTP V2 Brings to Aptos

    CCTP V2 is designed to streamline cross-chain $USDC transfers by improving the token’s burn-and-mint process. The updated protocol reduces transaction times and friction, supporting near-instant finality across compatible networks.

    For the Aptos ecosystem, CCTP V2 provides access to more efficient stablecoin infrastructure. The integration could help attract additional decentralized finance protocols and institutional participants that use $USDC for liquidity, trading, lending, and payments.

    The move also supports Aptos’s broader positioning as a high-performance layer-1 blockchain. Built around the Move programming language, Aptos has focused on speed and scalability. Adding CCTP V2 reinforces its goal of creating a connected and user-friendly blockchain ecosystem.

    Why Cross-Chain USDC Support Matters

    $USDC is one of the most widely used stablecoins in the cryptocurrency market, with a market capitalization exceeding $30 billion. By supporting CCTP V2, Aptos can connect to a larger pool of capital and users who prefer $USDC for on-chain financial activity.

    Developers may also be able to build applications that rely on smoother cross-chain $USDC flows. Increased access to liquidity could contribute to greater activity across Aptos-based trading, lending, payments, and decentralized finance applications.

    For Circle, the Aptos integration expands the reach of its stablecoin and supports its role in cross-chain infrastructure. CCTP V2 forms part of Circle’s effort to establish $USDC as a widely used standard for transferring digital value across blockchain networks.

    Benefits for Aptos Developers and Users

    Developers building on Aptos can use CCTP V2 as a standardized framework for cross-chain $USDC transfers. This may reduce the need to create custom bridging solutions, which can involve additional development costs, complexity, and security risks.

    Users may benefit from faster and less expensive transfers when moving $USDC between Aptos and other supported networks. A simpler transfer process can improve access to liquidity and make it easier to use DeFi applications across multiple chains.

    The integration could also support broader institutional participation. Regulated stablecoins such as $USDC are often preferred by traditional financial institutions entering the digital-asset market. CCTP V2 gives those participants a more efficient route to engage with decentralized finance on Aptos.

    Aptos Strengthens Its Interoperability Strategy

    Aptos’s support for Circle’s CCTP V2 represents a practical step toward a more interconnected blockchain ecosystem. Faster cross-chain $USDC transfers improve the network’s usefulness for both developers and users while strengthening its position among competing layer-1 blockchains.

    As interoperability becomes a growing priority across the crypto industry, integrations such as CCTP V2 are likely to become increasingly important. Aptos is moving early to meet demand for faster, more efficient movement of stablecoin liquidity across networks.

    FAQs

    What is CCTP V2?

    CCTP V2 is Circle’s upgraded Cross-Chain Transfer Protocol. It enables faster and more secure $USDC transfers between supported blockchain networks by optimizing the burn-and-mint process.

    How does CCTP V2 benefit Aptos users?

    Aptos users can transfer $USDC between supported chains with reduced transaction times and lower costs, making it easier to move liquidity and access DeFi applications.

    Could CCTP V2 attract more developers to Aptos?

    Yes. The standardized cross-chain infrastructure provided by CCTP V2 simplifies development and could attract projects that require seamless $USDC interoperability.

    Source: cryptonews.net